


Work distractions are prohibited (Unless you're Damien LaVey)

by ToonLemon



Category: Monster Prom (Visual Novel)
Genre: Damien is Damien, I would never, M/M, Oz's boss is only scary to make sure people work, but that's it, he's really a cool guy underneath, there's some swearing cuz ya know, writing new fics instead of continuing older ones?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 04:09:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17953328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToonLemon/pseuds/ToonLemon
Summary: Oz is forced to get a job and a certain demon isn't making it any easier on them





	Work distractions are prohibited (Unless you're Damien LaVey)

**Author's Note:**

> Being a cashier sucks and it's stressful as hell so this is my way of coping LOL

If Oz had the time to crush their own skull they would have their head half way through the box crusher this very moment.

But seeing as it was a Monday at the local monster grocery store and a seemingly endless amount of customers decided to tsunami their way in, the fearling would sadly have to leave their skull smashing for a later date. 

The place was bustling, customers shouting for assistance almost every 5 minutes. Oz swore If they got one more old gremlin lady asking to speak to their manager they would explode. And when Oz explodes it’s not pretty by any means.

Being the embodiment of fear has its ups and downs, apparently one of those downs being when they lose control, it sends a blast of crippling fear to anyone in a 10 mile radius. But hey it’s Monstropolis, that’s just a regular Monday morning right?

Speaking of regular Monday morning, a pile of canned food required their attention.

For the 10th time that day.

Oz lamented on how this all even came about. Of course it wasn’t their idea to get a part time job, who wants that on top of school work? But high school wasn’t enough to fill their time according to Oz’s mother who, ironically, spent most of her days in the darkest void of deep seeded fear. So she decided to do what any loving parent does, and went behind their back to set them up with a small cashier job claiming they “needed to experience the world more”.

So what if Oz liked sitting in their void room reading steamy novels and messaging friends behind the comfort of a screen! This job was worse than any social impairment they might’ve gained from being cooped up in the house.

A gentle pat on their cheek prompted them to take a deep breath. Oz was forever thankful of their little phobias. They could always count on the creatures to help calm their anxiety. The store didn’t allow them to be out during work hours, their boss calling them “Freeloading parasites” which understandably made Oz want to throw the nearest heavy object at him. But, they didn’t really have a choice if they wanted to keep their job. 

Which they didn’t, but having to confront their mom after being fired wasn’t something they wanted to deal with. Plus the nights they’ve spent feeding fears into their employers dreams made up for it.

Oz gave their little blob the signature ‘thank you for helping but hide before you’re caught’ look before turning their attention back to the stack of chili some kid decided to throw a bouncy ball at it.

“Excuse me!”

Oz bit back a groan.

Thankfully instead of the the loud angry customer they were expecting, Oz was met with the soft face of a stunning elven lady. Someone this beautiful seemed unreal. Shiny white hair cupped her face in a curly bob, like a canvas framing the most ethereal painting in a museum. Lithe hands gently rested against her protruding stomach, rubbing it idly and catching the attention of at least two curious phobias. 

The woman smiled softly at the sight of them and adjusted her purse. “Would you happen to know which isle the lactose free goat milk is in? I’ve been struggling to find some all day.” She added with a small shifting of her feet, clearly ready to go home.

Seeing as she was heavily pregnant and the first friendly customer Oz was gifted with that morning, they chose to escort her personally. The store could deal with one less cashier for a few minutes.

The two exchanged pleasant small talk as they walked, the break like a heavenly blessing. She spoke of her being here to visit her step mother on holiday and having a horrible sense of direction leading her to take refuge in any shop she could until she was picked up. Oz listened to her soothing voice, nodding politely and responding when prompted. They made sure to check her out personally and wished her a happy trip before leaning against their register woefully.

It was a crying shame for customers like her to be rare.

A wistful sigh escaped them. Now it was back to creepy old men, gremlin ladies, and rowdy teens.

Now Oz never believed in the saying speak of the devil and he shall appear, but the Damien fucking Lavey decided it was the perfect time to walk through the front doors, they were just about to start believing.

Now it wasn’t that Oz didn’t like Damien, it was actually quite the opposite.The two did tend to get along despite the oddness of it. Granted it was with some particularly rocky beginnings, and they weren’t quite sure where they stood on the borderline of friends and maybe something more?? But that’s besides the point! The point is, because Damien is Damien, he had a tendency to be a bit..

Explodey.

Now Oz could not afford to lose this job or obtain 3rd degree burns, so in a fit of boldness they marched towards the prince of hell.

If Oz had had the choice they would’ve made sure to pick the furthest store from their school in hopes none of their classmates even got a glimpse of them. Not one of the most popular places to buy food in their area!

Up until now they’d been successful at hiding whenever someone from spooky high popped their head in. Oz had been lucky to have an excuse each time like chores or being nagged at by one of their managers in the back. 

But today Oz had demolished all of their chores way too soon in a flurry of nerves needing anything to distract them from the terrible spells test earlier that morning. So because of a terrible sense of hindsight, they were having to confront possibly the worst person and beg him to be on his best behavior. 

Oz prayed to every deity they could think of for this to go well.

Damien seemed unfazed as the fearling came closer making anxiety settle deep in their stomach. He threw a cocky smirk Oz’s way as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Hey noob.”

Stupid sexy Damien.

Giving the most employee stance they could Oz disguised their conversation like they were talking to a normal customer. “How may I help you?” they recited, their tone polite and to the point.

Damien gave his classmate a weird look, not seeming to understand Oz couldn’t be talking leisurely during work hours. “Didn’t realize this place already started turning you into a corporate robot Ozzi. Need me to burn a couple of asses for you?” he teased.

That’s the exact opposite of what Oz wanted him to do!

The inky monster swiveled their head around making sure there wasn’t a manager in sight before leaning to whisper at the Demon, “If you’re staying could you at least act like I’m helping you find something.” they urged, desperate to not get in trouble.

Surprisingly Damien humored them. “Alright lead me to the Big Barbaras.” (The monster equivalent to Little Debbies)

As they strolled Oz lamented the company of the sweet elven lady they’d helped earlier because in her previous spot was now arguably the most destructive guy in school. At the first sign of fire they were ready to shove him outside the building.

Crushes be damned.

Damien Broke the ever thickening silence, “So what made you decide to work in this dump?”

“Wasn’t my choice believe it or not.”

“Parent set you up huh?”

“Bingo.”

Damien nodded in understanding. “My dads try to force me into jobs all the time. They decided it was a good idea to stop when the third Screambucks caught on fire.”

Oz wasn’t sure how to feel about the pride Damien oozed at that statement.

The two reached their destination and the fearling gestured sluggishly to the cream filled snacks Damien requested. “There’s your snacks. Can I get back to pretending my secret hasn’t been horrifically found out now?” they snarked, begging the void to take them there.

But of course it couldn’t have been that easy. Damien couldn’t have just taken his snack, used the self checkout, and been on his merry way. Nope, he had to give Oz that damn grin and lean ever so slightly into their personal bubble with an expression that could only mean trouble. 

“Damien.” they began calmly, ”No.”

“Damien, yes.”

“Please not today.”

“So tomorrow?”

With a hard push Oz began forcing the hell prince towards the front of the store, purchase in hand. They really didn’t have the time or patience to deal with this right now.

They knew shoving customers out of the store wasn’t exactly model employee behavior but it was the only way Damien would leave and maybe with a little luck their boss wouldn’t even know-

“OZNIE!”

The piercing yell of their full name made Oz stumble, scrambling to put distance between them and their “customer”. There was only one person that voice belonged to.

Thundering steps shook the building, each thump causing their heart to race faster, as an enormous scaly dragon engulfed them in shadow. Their boss was way too intimidating for a grocery store owner and everyone who got the chance to see him gossiped about his origins. Yet the heavy scarring on his face told stories no one dared to ask.

Oz stole a glance at their rebellious customer and of course he looked unfazed, more confused really. They could understand. Everyone had that reaction when they saw their boss the first time.

“Is that any way to treat our customers Oznie.” the dragon bellowed.

Having their full name said even once made their skin crawl, twice was enough to make them borderline nauseous, but fear glued Oz to their spot. They bit the inside of their cheek hard, strenuously attempting to keep themself from shaking. 

See Oz has never been good dealing with confrontation without their friends. There was something about having them around that made them feel practically invincible. But this was work and the only ones here are their 20ft scary ass boss and the guy they might have a massive crush on. And they’d rather NOT make a fool of themself in front of him, so with a deep breath, Oz stilled themself. As long as they were calm and professional everything would work out fine right?

“No sir.” they answered politely. The picture of employee innocence.

“Then why the hell did I just witness you harassing this man inside our store?” he challenged, the loud growl shaking Oz to their core.

So much for staying calm.

It was like Oz’s mind went foggy with fear. No matter how much they tried to explain themself it all came out a mess of fractured sentences. They hated this stupid job and it’s stupid customers and stupid scary boss they were going to get fired and disappoint their mom and everything was going to-

“They were just helping me out fuckass.”

An overwhelming silence washed across every patron in the store and Oz’s veins felt like ice. Despite being next to one of the hottest creatures in the city they didn’t think they could feel colder.

The dragon’s shock was evident. No one ever talked back to him. Oz had heard horror stories of employees who got too cocky. There were no questions when a snarky monster got called into the boss’ office and never came out. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with the big boss, but Damien wasn’t known for following rules. Oz prepared themself for this to get bloody.

But, instead of the symphony of rage everyone expected, the dragon only squinted down at the prince of hell. “Wait a second-Damien?”

Oz’s brain short circuited.

The demon smirked. “Long time no see old man.”

Zeterrid’s guttural laughter boomed across the store, shaking a few boxes off the shelves. He leaned down to ruffle Damien’s hair roughly, nearly bringing him to the floor. “Damien my boy! I almost didn’t recognize you, you’ve gotten so big!”

“Not as big as you scarface.”

“Your manners sure haven’t changed that’s for sure.”

“I remember a certain dragon being responsible for that.”

Oz watched in absolute awe as the two bantered. Damien knew their boss. 

Not exactly how they expected this situation to go down.

Damien casually threw his arm over the Oz’s’ shoulders. “This guy used to be my part time sitter when I was a little hellion.” he explained. “Sure didn’t expect Zeterrid, destroyer of all who are holy ending up a supermarket owner.” Damien quipped. 

Oz’s boss folded his arms and chuckled, “Well when you’ve been pestering holy men for 500 years there comes a time when you feel like settling down.”

The dragon’s eyes shifted towards Oz, a smirk accompanying it. “Wanna tell me how you managed to make friends with this runt?”

Always ready to tell one of his unforgettable stories, the demon almost began, but stopped quickly when he caught the fearling’s begging look.

Oh he was supposed to know that look. What was it? Oh yeah it was Oz’s “Please leave before my metaphorical blood pressure shoots through the roof and I end up pass out on the floor.” look. With the lack of a mouth their eyes did have a knack for expressing clearly.

Or maybe it was just the telekinesis.

Damien faked a sigh. “Actually Zete as much as I’d love to retell me and Oz’s badass origin story, I’ve gotta get back home before my dads decide to rope me into one of their crochet circles as punishment.”

The thought to correct Damien’s grammar was fleeting as relief flooded Oz’s body. Finally they could get back to working and act like none of this ever happened.

“But I’ll be sure to visit again soon.”

Oz should really just make a list of plans ruined in less than 2 minutes.

The demon exchanged a few more words with their boss before striding out with his treats. Treats that Oz realized he definitely did not pay for. They shouted, ready to chase him down as they were required to do with any customer caught stealing, until a heavy hand stopped them in their tracks.

Zeterrid shook his head in amusement. “If you know Damien you know he won’t come back to pay for those.”

Fair point.

Straightening their apron, Oz gazed quickly up at their boss. His face was softer than they’d ever seen, as if recalling a fond memory. They’d never felt so calm around the dragon than they did in this moment. But all good things come to an end it seems as an expression of melancholy washed away whatever good memory had been present. 

The large reptile gave one last shake of his head before carefully retreating towards his office. “He’ll be back to pester you that’s for sure. Once Damien gets his hands on something he likes it’s as hard to keep him away from it, including people.” he commented teasingly to his employee, before disappearing.

Oz let out the biggest sigh they could muster.

This job just got 100 times harder.

**Author's Note:**

> I read my works over and over but if I keep going back to fix things I never post it so hope you enjoyed! Might do more chapters but this is me we're talking about lol. If work inspires me it'll happen. Also Couldn't remember if their living area was called Monstropolis or not?? But roll with it.


End file.
